This application relates to a system and methods for neuropsychological assessment and, more specifically, the assessment of memory and learning functions, including verbal associative memory, working, and prospective memory and executive functions.
Neuropsychological assessments, including memory performance assessments, are designed to assess cognitive ability and are widely used in educational program planning, clinical assessment, and drug efficacy (clinical) trials. Many neuropsychological assessments, however, assume a minimum level of cognitive function or knowledge that is not met by all populations. As a result, many neuropsychological assessments are not suitable for young children (under the age of 5) or individuals with cognitive delay or cognitive impairment. Populations such as these present significant challenges in the context of neuropsychological assessments because existing assessments are often too difficult and/or do not cater for varying levels of attention, language, and/or motor proficiency.
Memory is central to effective learning and everyday function. Impairments in memory also form a pervasive part of many neuropsychological and genetic disorders. Valid, developmentally appropriate, and sensitive measures of memory performance permit the creation of a clinical profile that characterizes different facets of a participant's memory. The clinical profile may help to determine the type and degree of cognitive or memory impairment, monitor progression of a disorder or improvement or decline in cognitive or memory function over time, provide feedback regarding the most effective ways to present information to an individual, or be used to evaluate the effectiveness of educational remediation, or pharmacological or surgical treatment. For example, some pharmacological treatments for Down syndrome (DS), autism, and Fragile X syndrome act on brain regions of known importance for memory and learning, including the hippocampus, medial-temporal lobes, and prefrontal cortex. Changes in memory assessment performance over time can indicate whether a pharmacological treatment is effective for an individual. This type of feedback is critical to the development of new treatments, clinical trials, and individual treatment plans.
Currently, there are no measures of memory and learning standardized for use with children under the age of 5 years that are comprehensive in their scope, covering the assessment of memory for single items, space, and episodic learning. While measures exist for older populations, those measures are not necessarily appropriate for populations having cognitive delays and/or impairments. Further, no single available test includes optimal cognitive measures to cover the profile of lifespan cognitive development when there is cognitive impairment and age-related decline, such as is in individuals with DS. Finally, memory performance assessments used with typically-developing, adult populations are often unsuitable for use with populations having cognitive impairment, including memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Thus, there exists a need for a comprehensive memory assessment suitable for across the lifespan and in different populations, including young children and individuals with cognitive delay or impairment.